Murder and Mischief
by thearrowsoflegolas
Summary: She is pure murder. He is unbridled mischief. What will happen when their paths cross? Lillian is an assassin, but when a kill goes wrong, she finds herself running to Odin for help, and ends up living as a guest in A share. Through this, she meets the King's quiet and mysterious son, Loki. Despite their differences, can something more than friendship blossom between them?
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my first Marvel fic, so please review and follow, tell me what you think x**

Lillian picked up a handful of snow from the frosty ground and placed it in her mouth, wincing as the cold bit into her tongue. She made no sound, instead only twisting her face to show the pain that she felt. It passed momentarily, and she swallowed the water that had pooled on her tongue, and breathed out warily into the chilly air.

No steam came from her mouth with her exhalation, the snow having done its job. She was effectively invisible.

The low murmur of voices came from the corner of the large room that she was crouched in, and she jumped up, running silently to hide behind a large stone pillar in the opposite corner, her breath making no fog in the cold air.

Her contractor had warned her that Jötundheim was a difficult terrain to navigate, and he had been right. The frozen pathways and eerie blue lights that lit them would be difficult for any person to manage, even an Asgardian like herself.

She sneaked a glance around the giant stone pillar that she was standing behind, and her heart rate quickened as she saw four Jötun saunter into the large, high-ceilinged meeting hall. Their blue skin almost shone in the waning sunlight, and they were garbed in thick leather trousers, but no tunics, the cold obviously not affecting them as it did her. The tallest, Laufey, she recognised instantly as their leader. He was not the one that she was here for. He was flanked by two, smaller but broader Jötun, with long swords strapped to their belts, and mean - looking scars covering their faces. Guards.

A slightly shorter Jötun, still towering a good three feet abover her head, was identified by the thick silver pendant that hung low and heavy around his neck. The corner of her mouth twisted up into a smile that didn't reach her eyes, and her hand unconciously travelled to her belt, where a short but sharp dagger was hanging.

Jesban, the first advisor to Laufey, one of the most important men in Jötundheim.

 _He_ was why she was here.

The heavy weight of a large bag of coins weighed down the scuffed brown leather satchel that was slung casually around her shoulder, a constant reminder of why she was here. She had been paid to do a job, and she was going to do it properly.

"I do not advise taking that course of action." The voice was low and gravelly, and Lillian's breath quickened from behind her stone pillar. She glanced at her feet, her black leather boots almost ankle-deep in the snow that seemed to cover every surface on this planet.

"My Lord, I agree with Jesban," came another voice, one of the guards, and the sound of footsteps echoed around the room as the Jötuns heavily paced the icy floor.

"It is not your position to tell me what I should be doing, Lian." The booming voice was unmistakeably Laufey's, "I want what is mine, and I am not afraid to take it by force."

Lillian shifted slightly, confused at the turn their discussion had takem. She wondered what it was that caused Laufey such anger.

"I understand that, Sir," This voice was Jesban's, "But surely it would be better to _wait_ -"

A crashing sound caused Lillian to jump where she was stood. The sound of breaking glass echoed around the room, and a thumping sound followed it, as Laufey slammed his fist on the large table in the room's centre.

"Don't you _dare_ tell me what to do, Jesban. You are my _adviser._ You know what that means?"

"I'm sorry Sir-"

"It means that you _advise_ me, Jesban, not order me around like a dog."

The frost in Laufey's voice matched the cold that was slowly seeping through Lillian's clothes. She had dressed for the weather, wrapping up warm in a sheepskin coat and thick leather leggings. A brown leather belt pinched her waist, hung with daggers and a nasty-looking sword, and her dirty blonde hair had been tightly plaited down her right shoulder, effectively keeping it out of her face. She was short, and slim, but strong. Her Asgardian blood gave her strength and stamina, and her many years training gave her all the skills that she needed. Her fingers tickled the dagger at her belt again, as Laufey continued to shout.

"I'm not going to stay here and be treated like a child!" The heavy footsteps of Laufey trailed out of the room, and there was a loud bang, as what sounded like a door slammed shut. Jesban sighed, and there was a nervous giggle from one of the other two men... it may have been Lian.

"You two can leave," said Jesban, and Lillian glanced around the pillar once more, to see him sitting on the table, looking crestfallen. The other two Jotuns stood in front of him, their arms folded. Mean looking daggers hung heavily from their belts, and Lillian stopped herself from taking a loud, deep breath in, worried by how heavily - armed they seemed.

"As you wish, Sir," one of them said, and they both walked out of the room, the blue skin on their backs scarred and marked from years of fighting. The door closed behind them, leaving Jesban on his own.

Or so he thought.

The guards would return soon, Lillian figured that she had ten minutes to do her job, maybe less.

Jesban stood up, and walkedd towards the door, his back to Lillian, and she stepped out from her hiding place, removing a small silver dagger from her belt, relaxing slightly as she felt the farmiliar weight of it in her hand.

She was short, for an Asgardian. Only 5"3, and the Jötun towered over her at close to 7", but she did not slow down. Her footsteps were silent on the snow-covered floor, and she was swift. Jesban still had his back to her, staring intently at the door that Laufey had closed behind him, and within seconds, Lillian was behind him. Before he had the chance to turn around, she took the knife and stabbed it deep into the side of his torso, right into his kidney. His skin yielded for the knife easily, and hot sticky blood quickly spilled from his side. He opened his mouth in shock, but before he could make a noise, Lillian leapt up, latching one arm around his neck, her legs dangling in the cold air. With a quick and presice movement, she dragged the dagger over the thin skin of his throat, feeling the warmth of his blood cover her hand and wrist. He fell to his knees, the dagger clattering to the floor as Lillian rolled sideways to protect herself from the impact.

She stood up, wiping her bloody hands on her tunic and picking up the dagger, tucking it back into her belt. She glanced at the body on the floor, jerking violently as his lifeblood flowed out of his throat, staining the snow crimson. She bent down, looking directly into Jesban's eyes as they turned black, and he stopped moving, immobile on the ground. Lillian reached into her satchel and opened her purse, a cowhide leather bag tied with strings. From it, she removed two silver coins and placed them over the eyes of the deseaced, for the ferry-man to carry him over to the afterlife. She said a quick prayer, and stood up again, placing her purse back in her bag.

She killed for a living, but that didn't mean that she had to like it.

She took a step back, before turning and walking away, towards the door on the other side of the room that led to the servants quarters. That was how she had got in, and she was certain that, if she pulled her hood up, she would manage to get out of the castle without detection. She began to walk, but spun around at the sound of a creak.

The door was opening again.

She ran towards the pillars in the corner of the room, but was too late. The pair of guards had returned, and took one look at the crumpled, dead body of Jesban, before immediately scanning the room for his killer.

"There!" One of them shouted, pointing to Lillian, who had not managed to reach the pillars in time. With a guttural growl, they both ran forwards, each removing a long sword from the sheaths on their belts. Lillian froze for a second, before doing the only thing that she could do.

She ran.

Kicking open the door to the servant's quarters wasn't very inconspicuous, but in all honesty, subtlety wasn't high on her list of priorities. Her face had been seen, something that she never allowed to happen. She pushed her way past servants, most of them women, in ragged and tattered dresses, carrying trays of food or buckets of dirty water. She shoved her way through the blue-skinned giants, clattering trays to the floor, occasionally glancing behind her. The two guards were still hot on her trail, weilding their swords. She ran faster, through the kitchens and out of a side-door into the freezing wasteland of the outside world.

The cold hit her like a train, pushing the air from her lungs and causing her to stumble slightly, but she kept running. What choice did she have in the matter?

"Stop right there!" Came yells from behind her, but she paid them no heed. Her Asgardian blood did her well, meaning that she could run fast, faster than the frost giants chasing her, despite her shorter stature. She continued to run for what seemed like hours, but was more likely only a few minutes, until she spotted a small cave in an icy rockface, and dove into it. The whirling blizzard outside made it impossible to see across long distances, even for natives, so she wasn't surprised when she heard the confused shouts of the guards.

"Where is she?"

"I can't see a bloody thing?"

"Where did she go?"

Lillian stayed silent, her arms wrapped tightly around herself for warmth in the freezing cave. She sat down, the snow melting with her contact, and cold water leaking into the seat of her leggings, but for the moment, she didn't care.

"We know your face, bitch."

She froze at their words, not at the offensive nature of them, but because they rung true. She had allowed the unallowable to happen. She had been seen.

"We know who you are, Asgardian. And we _will_ find you."

Her heart race increased as she sensed the truth in their words, she was not a person who wanted her identity known.

"I know you can hear me!"

There was a stream of angry muttering, and then the sounds of footsteps walking away. Lillian breathed out a sigh of relief that she didn't even know she was holding in when the footsteps receeded to silence, and she was left alone. Reaching into her satchel, she pulled out her purse, emptying it into her hand, and counting out the coins. 48 pieces of silver, not including the two that she had placed on the eyelids of Jesban. A pretty price for five minutes of work, but as she sat in the darkened cave, shivering as the snow coated her hands and face, she wondered to herself it it was worth it.

"Heimdall?" She called out in the darkness, trying to force the words out through chattering teeth, "If you can see me, now would be a really good time to beam me up."

She waited for twenty seconds, and tried again, a bit louder this time, "Heimdall, It's me. It's Lillian. Please. I'm in trouble."

If anybody could help her now, it was Heimdall, the guardian of the rainbow bridge of Asgard. He was all-seeing, a powerful omniscient being with the ability to transport anyone from one world to the next. It had been years since she had seen him, but somehow, Lillian still held hope that he would help her in troubled times.

Her mind lit up with an idea.

"Heimdall," she was almost yelling into the swirling storm now, "Odin owes me a favour. Let this be it, huh?"

Her voice echoed around the roomy cave, but to no avail. She stayed exactly where she was.

She let out a sigh of dissapointment, and lay down in the snow on her back, crossing her arms over her chest. It looked like she was going to have to make her own way out of this one. As her eyes slowly closed, she felt a warm sensation run down her spine and legs, and she snapped them open again. All around her was light. Rainbow light that shone so brightly she had to shield her eyes to see it. Despite this, she couldn't help the grin that cam to her face, as she felt her body rise slightly, and the warmth from the light enter her veins.

Heimdall had listened.

She was going home.


	2. Chapter 2

Lillian landed with an unceremonious thump on a cold, golden floor. Her stomach lurched slightly, and she put her hand to her mouth until the feeling of nausea had passed.

"Please don't vomit on my Rainbow Bridge."

The low throaty voice could have only come from on person, and Lillian pushed herself up from the floor to come face to face with Heimdall, garbed entirely in plated golden armour, his yellow eyes seeming to glow from inside his face. She grinned at him, but he didn't return the smile, preferring instead to lean on his golden staff and continue to look out into the Bifrost from which she had just come.

"Thank you, Heimdall," Lillian said, truthfully, and the golden giant looked down at her with a mixture of pity and contempt. She wasn't surprised. The trouble with Heimdall's omniscience meant that he knew all of her dirty little secrets, even the ones that she wished she could hide.

"I picked you from Jötumdheim as a favour to the king, Lillian, not out of any personal feelings for you." Heimdall continued, making his opinion very clear.

She rolled her eyes, and stretched, looking around herself for the first time. She had been transported to a large golden dome, with an exit on either side, and a platform on which Heimdall stood in the middle. The exit behind Lillian, which she had just come through, was the Bifrost, a portal through which anybody could travel to any of the nine realms. The exit in front of her lead to the Rainbow Bridge, which travelled directly to Asgard, her home-realm.

She glanced outside, and noticed that the planet was dark, the stars and moon being the only light, apart from the luminescent glow of the Rainbow Bridge. She took a step towards it, and shivered involuntarily. It may not have been Jötundheim, but it was a cold night nonetheless.

"Does Odin know that I'm coming?" She asked, and she heard Heimdall sigh and step off his pillar, coming to stand next to her.

"I sent him word. There's a horse tied outside for you."

Lillian felt a flood of relief go through her, at least she wouldn't have to walk the whole way to Asgard in the cold. The journey from the Rainbow Bridge was a long one. She turned around to look at Heimdall, who towered above her, his dark skin almost glowing in the golden light.

"Thank you, Heimdall. I owe you one."

He nodded silently, not saying a word, and turned his back on her, standing back on his pillar, gazing into the Bifrost.

Lillian pulled the sleeves of her jacket down over her wrists, and hugged her chest as she stepped out of the golden dome into the chilly night air onto the Rainbow Bridge. Her sheepskin jacket was tightly fitted around her waist, secured with a thick leather belt from which hung numerous daggers and a longsword, but she still felt the chill of the night seep into her bones. Heimdall had been right, a dark brown horse with a flowing mane was tied to a small post just outside, and she walked up to it, her hands held out in front of her.

"Wooah there buddy," she muttered, letting the horse smell her first, before stroking its neck and untying it, grabbing onto its mane to hoist herself up onto its back. The horse was warm between her legs, and she smiled to herself as she stroked its mane, leading it forwards. It set off at a gallop towards the city of Asgard, and all Lillian could do was hold on for dear life.

The Bridge was translucent, and Lillian could almost see through it as the horse sped on, whipping her face with wind and sending her dark blonde plait flying behind her head as she rode. In the darkness, she could just make out the silhouette of the city, the large golden Castle shining in the moonlight. It had been years since she had been to Asgard, too many years in her opinion. It was her birthplace, the land of her people. She felt strangely at home as the horse continued to ride on, the speck of the city in the distance becoming bigger and bigger, her mount never stopping in its arduous pace.

As she got closer to Asgard, the magnificence of the infrastructure hit her. The palace was an incredible piece of architecture, thousands of golden pillars stretching up into the dark night sky. All around it were smaller houses, cities and villages where the common people lived. As her horse eventually slowed down to a stop outside the gates of the Citidel, she patted its neck gently and dismounted, her thighs aching from the long ride.

A guard, a stocky-looking brunet with dimples and a light beard, took the horse from her, and looked her over, his eyes lingering on the sharp sword hanging heavily from her belt.

"Lillian?" His mouth formed the word questioningly, almost hesitantly.

She nodded silently.

"The King is expecting you, please follow me." He gestured to another guard, who walked up to the pair of them and opened the heavy golden gates. Lillian followed the brunet guard past the gates and forwards towards the palace. It looked even bigger now that she was finally nearing the doors, this glistening gold reflecting the moonlight and towering high into the sky. Thy walked in silence for a few minutes before finally reaching the doors of the palace.

The guard knocked three times on the large golden door, and Lillian heard the sound echo in the vast caverns of the great hall.

"Enter." The low unmistakeable voice of Odin.

The guard opened the door, and nodded respectfully at Lillian, who whispered a 'Thank You', to him, and walked into the great hall.

The hall was even grander than she had remembered it, a giant room filled with candles, warming Lillian instantly. At the end of the room sat four large golden chairs, and on each chair sat a person. Lillian walked forwards apprehensively, and as she neared them, she recognised Odin, garbed, as always, in a golden armour. He sat straight and proud on the centre chair, next to a graceful looking lady, who was dressed in a delicate blue tunic, a golden circlet on her head. On either side of the couple sat two younger men.

"Lillian!" Odin's booming voice echoed around the room, and Lillian smiled to herself. It had been many years since she had seen Odin, when she had done him a great favour, but he still seemed to hold her in good stead. She finally reached the end of the long hall, and kneeled before the king on a small stone step leading up to his throne.

"It has been too long, child." The King continued, and she looked up from her kneeling position.

"Please. Please stand." He said, and she obliged, a smile on her face.

"I must thank you, your majesty, for your kindness-"

Odin chuckled and waved away her thanks with his hand.

"Lillian, may I introduce my wife, Frigga."

The older woman by his side smiled warmly, and Lillian bowed her head in respect.

"A pleasure, Ma'am."

"And my two sons," Odin continued, now gesturing to the young men who sat either side of him.

"Thor and Loki."

Lillian nodded respectfully at both of them. Thor, she guessed, was the oldest. He was blonde, and gigantic, his muscles straining under the red and silver armour he wore. He was handsome as well, she would admit that. He gave her a smile, flashing a row of perfectly straight white teeth.

"Nice to have a pretty lady around the place."

She struggled to prevent herself from rolling her eyes. She had met men like Thor before, a little bit too cocky, a little bit too confident. She was sure that he meant no harm, however, so smiled kindly at him.

Loki, the other, was smaller, just as tall, but more lean. His face was drawn, and much paler, and his hair was as black as jet. He was garbed in a green and gold leather armour, which accentuated his lithe figure. If Thor was a wolf, Loki was a cat.

His gaze ran down her torso and focused on her waist, and more specifically, the long sword which hung there. He eyes then moved to her hands, and she didn't have to look down to know that he was looking at the small droplets of blood that were still splattered on them from her earlier kill. His eyes snapped up, and looked directly into hers, green on green, and he raised a single eyebrow, before dropping his gaze back to the floor, silently.

He was certainly more perceptive than his brother.

"You may leave us now," Odin said, and Lillian nodded and turned to go, "Not you, Lillian. I was talking to my family. I must speak with you alone."

The three other members of Odin's family stood up, and, giving her a final nod, walked out of the hall, Frigga to one side, the two brothers to the other. Thor's booming voice echoed around the room.

"She's a pretty one, huh, Loki?"

Loki glanced back at Lillian, a confused look on his face, before begrudgingly following his brother out of the room, closing the door behind them, leaving Lillian and Odin in silence.

The easy-going smile on Odin's face disappeared as soon as the door closed, and Lillian knew that she was in trouble. He stood up from his chair and walked towards her, down the large stone steps, until he was on the same level as her, looking down with a fiery gaze, made all the more intimidating by the golden eyepatch attached to his left eye.

"What did you do?"

The question was simple enough, but Lillian found herself stumbling to answer.

"I… I, um…"

"Spit it out, girl." Odin's voice was slightly softer, and he placed a reassuring hand on her cold shoulder, "What did you do?"

She let out a long sigh.

"I killed somebody I shouldn't have killed."

Odin closed his one good eye, and walked back up to his seat, sitting down in it, and giving Lillian a look that she had come to know over the years as disapproval.

"Tell me." He said simply, and she removed her leather satchel from around her shoulder and sat down on one of the stone steps, crossing her legs in front of her, facing away from Odin. It would be easier to tell him if she couldn't see the disappointment on his face.

"Jesban."

The name caused an instant reaction, as Odin literally gasped out loud. She turned around to see his face drawn.

"Laufey's first advisor?"

She nodded silently, and he put his head in his hands.

"They saw me…" she continued, getting everything off her chest, "Two guards saw me."

Odin groaned at this news and rolled his eyes.

"Could you have done anything _worse?_ " He asked incredulously, and Lillian lowered her eyes, not wanting to look at him. She knew that she had messed up, and badly.

"There's going to be a price on your head that even _I_ couldn't pay, Lillian. You know that?"

She sighed and stood up, nodding her head and walking to the side of Odin's chair, looking down at him.

"I was hoping I could stay here until it all blows over…"

Odin sighed and scratched his large beard with one hand.

"You are welcome here any time, Lillian, but I'm not sure that this _will_ blow over. The Frost Giants are well known for their ability to carry a grudge, and you have offended them in the highest way possible. You infiltrated their borders and killed one of their own. This is going to come back to you."

"I know. I know it is," she admitted, rubbing her eyes, "I'll only stay for a few months, and then maybe travel to Midgard, try to lie low for a couple of decades."

Odin smiled tightly and nodded, "Yes. That may work."

He looked up at her, his eyes surprisingly warm, and she remembered that he was as indebted to her as she was to him.

"You look tired, Lillian. You should get some rest."

She smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I'm pretty tired. Are the sleeping halls through there?" She pointed to a large set of double doors. It had been years since she had been in these halls, but the memory of their layout was still etched in the back of her mind. Odin nodded affirmative.

"Well then, goodnight." She walked to the front of Odin's chair, kneeling down and kissing the ring that he presented for her, "I owe you a favour, your majesty."

And with that, she bowed respectfully and walked off towards the double doors which lead to the female quarters, the opposite direction to the doors which the sons of Odin had walked out of minutes before. Little did she know, that one of them still remained, his ear pressed tightly to the mahogany, listening intently to her conversation with Odin. Loki's eyebrows widened as he comprehended what he had just heard. An assassin? And one who had killed such an important figure so readily? She was trouble.

He silently removed his head from the door and walked off down a well-lit corridor, his feet making no sound on the cobbled stone floor. As he pushed open the door to his chambers and went to remove his boots, a single thought ran through his mind.

He couldn't trust this girl.


End file.
